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Tablet computers went mainstream last year, big time. And Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer went big with them first at the Consumer Electronics Show, showing off not one, but three tablet computers last year.

The problem, of course, is Apple beat Ballmer’s partners to market, with the iPad. Ballmer, however, had the right idea. Reason enough to tune in to Ballmer’s keynote at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas Wednesday at 6 p.m.

Ballmer’s agenda this year: set top boxes Brier Dudley at The Seattle Times reports:

Microsoft's going to make a splash in this market with a stripped-down version of Windows tailored for set-top boxes and connected TVs. The software is a version of its embedded device software, overlaid with the Windows Media Center interface, with media streaming and remote-control capabilities.

These new Windows TV boxes have been glimpsed online since Microsoft unveiled its new embedded software lineup in April, and then again at an Intel conference in September. The boxes are expected to cost around $200 and go on sale later this year. They'll pose a serious challenge to the new Apple and Google TV devices, largely because the Windows boxes have a polished and familiar TV-program guide that makes it easy to blend and navigate both online and broadcast content.